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  Information gathering systems, methods, and programsUSPTO Application #: 20060106531Title: Information gathering systems, methods, and programs Abstract: Information gathering systems, methods, and programs transmit a request for other-vehicle drive information to an information center; and as a result of the transmitted request, only receive other-vehicle drive information of vehicles that are within a predetermined area, the predetermined area set based on the present location. Information gathering systems, methods, and programs determine whether a link corresponding to a present location is subject for gathering drive information and, if the link corresponding to the present location is subject for gathering the drive information, gather the drive information for that link. (end of abstract)
Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC - Alexandria, VA, US Inventors: Kenji Nagase, Kazutaka Yoshikawa, Toshiaki Minami, Hiroshi Tomita, Masao Kawai USPTO Applicaton #: 20060106531 - Class: 701200000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Vehicles, Navigation, And Relative Location, Navigation The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060106531. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE [0001] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-328637 filed on Nov. 12, 2004 and 2004-333329 filed on Nov. 17, 2004 including the specifications, drawings and abstracts are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Related Technical Fields [0003] Related technical fields include information gathering systems, methods, and programs. [0004] 2. Related Art [0005] In a conventional navigation apparatuses, for example, a present position of a vehicle is detected by a global positioning system (GPS), and a direction of the vehicle is detected on the basis of the turning angle of the vehicle detected by a gyro sensor. Map data is read out from a memory, and a map screen is formed in a display portion. The vehicle's present position, a map around the vehicle position, and the vehicle's direction are displayed on the map screen. Therefore, a driver can drive the vehicle in accordance with the vehicle's position, the map, and the vehicle's direction, which are displayed on the map screen. [0006] When the driver inputs a destination and sets search conditions, routes from the present location to the destination are searched for in accordance with the map data on the basis of the search conditions. Then, while the vehicle is being driven, a searched route is displayed together with the vehicle's position on the map screen. Therefore, the driver can drive the vehicle along the search route displayed. [0007] In conventional navigation apparatuses, a travel route representing a route taken during the drive of the vehicle, travel time information representing the time of passage of the vehicle through various points are sent to a control center. The control center gathers the travel route and the travel time information and performs statistical processes on the travel route and the travel time information, and computes the traffic congestion of roads, computes the required travel time from the starting location to the destination. The control center provides the state of traffic congestion of roads and the required travel time that have been computed for other vehicles (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-150467). SUMMARY [0008] In the foregoing conventional navigation apparatuses, the travel routes and the travel time information are gathered, irrespective of whether the traffic congestion of roads and the required time that are provided will be utilized by a driver of another vehicle. Therefore, the communication expense for transmission of travel routes, travel time information, etc. to the control center becomes high. Thus, the cost for information gathering becomes high. In addition, unnecessary communications are executed. [0009] Furthermore, in the foregoing conventional navigation apparatuses, the travel routes, the travel time information, etc. with regard to all the roads where the vehicles are driven, are transmitted to the control center. Therefore, the communication expense becomes high. Furthermore, the amount of calculation for performing the statistical processes at the control center becomes large, so that a high-performance processing device is needed. Thus, the cost for information gathering becomes high. [0010] If the travel routes, the travel time information, etc. are to be gathered in real time with regard to all the roads, there arises a need to gather the travel routes, the travel time information, etc. from a very large number of vehicles. Therefore, the cost for information gathering correspondingly increases. [0011] Accordingly it is beneficial to provide an information gathering systems, methods, and programs in which, for example, by solving one or more of the problems of the foregoing conventional navigation apparatuses, the cost for information gathering can be reduced, and execution of unnecessary communications will be avoided. [0012] Accordingly, various exemplary implementations of the principles described herein provide information gathering systems, methods, and programs that transmit a request for other-vehicle drive information to an information center; and as a result of the transmitted request, only receive other-vehicle drive information of vehicles that are within a predetermined area, the predetermined area set based on the present location. [0013] Various exemplary implementations of the principles described herein provide information gathering systems, methods, and programs determine whether a link corresponding to a present location is subject for gathering drive information and, if the link corresponding to the present location is subject for gathering the drive information, gather the drive information for that link. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG. 1 shows a navigation system according to an exemplary implementation of the principles described herein; [0015] FIG. 2 shows a method of gathering and transmitting information according to an exemplary implementation of the principles described herein; [0016] FIG. 3 shows an example of a designated area; and [0017] FIG. 4 shows a method of gathering and transmitting information according to an exemplary implementation of the principles described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY IMPLEMTATIONS [0018] FIG. 1 shows a conceptual block diagram representing an exemplary navigation system. As shown in FIG. 1, the navigation system may include an information terminal, for example, a vehicle-mounted navigation apparatus 14. The navigation apparatus 14 may include, for example a GPS sensor 15 that, for example, detects the present location and a memory 16, for example, in which various information such as map data is recorded. The navigation apparatus 14 may include a controller 17, for example, that performs various computational processes such as navigation processes on the basis of input information; a direction sensor 18, for example, that detects the direction of the vehicle; and an operating portion 34, for example, that receives inputs from a user. The navigation apparatus 14 may include a display portion 35, for example, that displays images on a screen (not shown); a voice input portion 36, for example, that receives input via voices or the like; and a voice output portion 37, for example, that makes various audible indications to give a notification to a user. The navigation apparatus 14 may include a communication portion 38, for example, that functions as a communication terminal. The operating portion 34, the display portion 35, the voice input portion 36, the voice output portion 37 and the communication portion 38 may be, for example, connected to the controller 17. Furthermore, a vehicle speed sensor 41 may also be connected to the controller 17. [0019] The GPS sensor 15 may detect the present location on the earth and, in addition, may receive the time of day via radio waves generated by an artificial satellite. As discussed above, he GPS sensor 15 may be used to detect a present location. However, instead of the GPS sensor 15, it is also possible to use a distance sensor, a steering sensor, an altimeter, etc. (not shown) individually or in combination to detect a present location. Furthermore, as the direction sensor 18, it is possible to use, for example, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, etc. Continue reading... Full patent description for Information gathering systems, methods, and programs Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Information gathering systems, methods, and programs patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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